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(No Model.) s sheets-sheet 1. J H. DUNBAR.

NAIL PLATE EEEDEE.

Patented Oct. Z0, 1885.

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(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-#Sheet 2. J. E. DUNBAR.`

NAIL PLATE EEEEEE. t No. 328,882. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. H. DUNBAB..

NAIL PLATE FEEDER.

110.828,882. Patented 008. 2o, 1885. @o "y:

,UNITED STATESv PATENTN Orricn.

JUNIUS H. DUNBAR, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANTHONY WELSH, H. W. SQUIRE,

PLACE.

AND FRANK BROWN, ALL OF SAME NAIL-PLATE FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,882, dated October 20, 1885.

Application filed August 10, 1885.` Serial No. 173,965. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, J UNIUs H. DUNBAR, of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nail-Plate Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a machine for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 309,830,were granted to me on the 30th day of December, 1884.

I will describe the improved machine so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may manufacture and use it, refer- [5 ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the platefeeder and nail-machine. Fig. l is a perspective view of detached parts. Fig. 2 is a 2Q plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end View of the rotating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view of one side ofthe same. Fig. 5 is a view of the other side. Fig. 6 is a plan view ofthe rotating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a side view of the guide and feed rolls. Fig. 8 is an end view ofthe same. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 10 isaside view, and Fig. Il a plan view, of the finger and ngerflever. Fig. l2 is a plan view of apart of the rocking frame, showing the mechanism whereby it is pivoted to the machine. Fig. 13 is a vertical cross-section on line m w of Fig. 12. Fig. letis a side view, and Fig. 15 a plan view, of a part.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, a represents the bedframe of the cutter, and b the oscillating cutter-head which severs the nails from a plate which is fed by mechanism, hereinafter to be described.

,to The lever of 'the cutter is pivoted at B near its cutting-edge, and at its end is pivotally attached to a crank or lever arm, c, which is pivoted eccentrically to and is operated by a disk, d2, on the rotary main shaft e of the machine.

Pivoted at the forward end of the bed-frame a at X, (see Fig. 1,) is the rocking frame f, which is preferably made as shownin Figs. l and 2, curving upward from its pivot to a point near the level of the cutter-knives. 5c. Fastened to the upper part of theframef is a bar or frame, g, which is designed to be a support for the feed-rollers. An upright brace, h, is fixed to the rocking frame f and to the bar g, and serves as a support for the latter. This brace, the frame f, and the bar y are all preferably cast of the same piece of metal. A finger-lever, R', is pivoted at y to an upright standard, 71,', which rises from the bar g, and is suitably secured thereto. A rotary main shaft, e, is journaled at the rear part of the cutter-frame a, and affixed to this shaft is a cam or eccentric disk, 7c, which is encircled by an annular cam-yoke, 7c', which, if made in sections, is bolted together' at k2 in the usual manner. The free end of one of the horizontal arms of a bell-crank lever, Z, is pivoted at Zl to the cam-yoke la', and at its elbow Z2 is adjustably pivoted in a vertical slot, Z3, at the end of a rigid bracket, L, which is suitably secured to the bed-frame a beside the eccentric la. A horizontal rod, m, is pivotally attached to the free end of the bellcrank Z, and as the revolution of the cam 7c imparts a vertical movement to its yoke 7c the bell-crank will impart a horizontally-reciprocating motion to the rod m. The other end of the rod mis pivotally connected by a pin, j, to the upper end of the standard h', which, as before described, is af- Xed to the rocking frame f. The limits of reciprocation of the arm m are regulated by pivoting it to the lever Z bya bolt-pin, which is adjustably mounted within a longitudinal slot, o, in the vertical arm of the'latter. The eccentric 7c also operates an upright oscillating lever, p, which actuates the feed-rod rotating and feeding mechanism. This lever is affixed to the cam-yoke k', and as the latter receives a horizontal oscillation from the cam Za it moves the lever back'- ward and forward and imparts a horizontal reciprocation to a connecting-bar, q. One end of this bar is adjustably pivoted by a nut and bolt in a vertical slot made in the upper end of the lever p, while its other end is similarly pivoted to the free end of a lever, s, which actuates the ratchet of the feeding mechanism in the manner hereinafter to be described. -The ratchet-levers is pif-voted a pin to a housing, @which .is .mounted npon the front end of the bar g and supports the feeding-gear. The bars m and Q are preferably formed in two pieces, which are adjustably secured by bolts passing through longitudinal slots in the connected ends, as at u in {FiggL These rods may thus be adjusted to any suitable length. On the housing` t, with its sides longitudinal with the bar g, is a bevel gear-Wheel, a', to which is affixed a ratchet- Wheel, w. A pawl, w', is pivoted to an arm, s', of the ratchet-lever s, and is adapted toengage with the teeth ofthe ratchet w. It is kept Vin engagement therewith by a spring, s2, which is also mountedv on the arm s.` Itis therefore apparent, by reference to Figs. l

, and 5, that as `the rod Q is pushed forward by the levcr p the lever s will cause the pawl w y which aid in impelling the feed-rod.

to slip over the ratchet w, while its backward motion will cause it to bite and turn the latter and its bevel gear-wheel ctforward. Asecond beveled gear-wheel, Z2, journaled at an angleto the gear-wheel a', is mounted in the housing t, soy as to mesh with the teeth of the wheel a', and either integral with the former bevel-wheel or affixed to its shaft is a gear-wheel, b2, whose function is to impart the necessary rotation and forward motion to the feed rod m of the machine, which is hereinafter more fully explained. In addition to the gearwheel b2 there are two other wheels, b3 and b4, They are mounted in bearings bl, which are secured by bolts and nuts b to vertical spring-standards b5. These hold the gear-wheelsabove the level of the wheel b, and at either side of it, the three being arranged substantially at the angles of an isosceles triangle, so that there may be an 1 the'two gear-wheels b3 and b may or may be replaced by untoothed guide-rolls,

intermediatespace, 2, through which the feedrod passes. (See Fig. 3.) The purpose of the spring-standards b5 is'to keep the gear-wheels b3 b4 in .gear with the interposed feed-rod by pressing them inward against it. The guiderolls d d2, (shown in Fig. 8, and hereinafter to be described,) are similarly mounted on springstandards for the same purpose. If desired,

and the lower spur-wheel, b2, used as the only feeding and rotating mechanism, although it is better to use all three rolls, as shown. The feed-rod mf extends from within the space 2 to a point near the nail-cutters, where it is provided with tongs or nippers g3, which hold the nail-plate g4. The surface g'z ofthe rod m for a considerable space from and up to its outer end, is provided with longitudinal gearteeth, which mesh into the teeth of the gearwheels bz'b3 b* when the rod is situate within the space 2. As the gear-wheel b'l rotates, it Aimparts a rotary motion, and, by reason of its inclination to the axis ofthe feed-rod, it also gives a longitudinal motion to the latter.

4The function of' the gear-wheels b3 b4 is 'to assist in imparting the longitudinal motion to the feed-rod, and for this purpose their bear'- be omitted,

ings b-7 are so adjusted that their toothed peripheries may be inclined .at acuteangles to the feed-rod, but in opposite directions. The teeth of these latter gear-wheels are therefore made at an acute angle to their peripheries, corresponding to the inclination of the wheels themselves to the feed-rod, so that as the for'.- mer rotate' their teeth may be parallel and capable of meshing with the teeth von the toothed part of the rod. The consequence is that the rotation of the feed-roll will also rotate the inclined cogs Zs b4, and they all toget her will act as a worm or helical screw to force the feed-rod forward in a right line toward the cutters. Near the inner end of the rockingbar g is mounted a frame, D,on which are three guide-rolls, d d d2, arrangedv triangularly in like manner with the gear-wheels b2 b3 b", the two upper feed-rolls, d d2, being mounted in bearings d5 d, situate on'the ends of spring-standards d3 d4, which are affixed to the` frame D by suitable bolts. the upper rolls are inclined to each other by setting the bolts d5 d6 so as to fix their bearings in the proper positions, and the 'feed-rod m passes within the intervening space, 3, resting on the periphery of the lower roll, d, and held against the other rolls by the vspringstandards d3 d4. (See Fig. 8.) The axis of the lower roll, d, is inclined to the axes of the others by means of the bolt d7,`whic`h supports the housings of the roll upon the frame D. The inclination of these rolls is such that as the feed-rod is rotated they worm or screw the Y feed-rod forward to the cutters the proper distance required in cutting a nail. As before The axes of ico noted, the gear-wheels b2 b3 lb give a longitudil nal motion as well as arotation to the feed-rod; but the exact limit of this longitudinal motion is determined by the adjustment of the guiderolls, their relative inclinations 'being increased or diminished accordingly as the forward feed is desired to be increased or diminished. The usual practice in nail-cutting is to turn the nail-plate over each time that a nail is cut, so as to prevent waste of metal.

This is done by rotation of the gear-wheel b2,

whosel cogs and the motion of the pawl and ratchet w w are so related to the cogs on the toothed surface g2 ofthe feed-rod, that each backward stroke of the rod g will give the feed-rod and the nail-plate g* a semi-revolue tion. YThe guide-rolls are therefore adjusted to feed the plate the width of a nail during each semi-revolution of the rod. It will'be noticed lthat the guide-rolls are not actuated vby any gearing, but rotate by friction against the feed-rod. Their rotation' does not of course effect the feed, but serves to regulate itand to lessen the friction of the' passage of the rod between their 'helically-inclined pe= ripheries. Since the feed-rod is not provided with a barrel or nose-piece (these parts not being required) as a device for'the better controlling of the nail-plate, the finger-arm' R' is affixed,after the manner'of an arm of a bell-crank lever,toa lev'er-arm,l t.v (See Figs.'

ifo

l, 10, and 11.) rlhe free end of the finger R bears upon the nail-plate, and must of course be raised therefrom each time that the plate is turned. This movement is produced as follows: The armRis pivoted to the standard h, which forms part of the rocking frame at y, and `extends downward in a curved direction, so that it may engage on its concave side with a friction-wheel, r', mounted at the end of a horizontal bar, r2. The latter is affixed independently of the rocking frame to the cutter-frame c by a bolt, r3. As will hereinafter be described, the rocking frame, includthe bar g, is caused to swing vertically upon its pivot Xby the reciprocations of the bar m. As the frame moves downward,the corresponding downward tendency of the finger-lever R causes it to engage the friction-wheel r', and to be moved upward with relation to its pivot y. This also imparts an upward movementto the iinger R', which is affixed to the lever R, and thereby raises and disengages the finger from the nail-plate. rlhe linger is somewhat longer than the dist-ance between the points y and i, so that a small movement of the frame will move the iinger through a larger arc. A suit able spring, h2, connects the lever R with the frame f, and exerts a tension on the lever which will keep it against the friction-wheel o" when the rocking frame rises, and will depress the finger R upon the nailplate g4, as will be readily understood. During this oscillation of the iinger R the lever p and rod g actuate the lever s and pawl w',

ther downward oscillation of the iinger.

thereby causing the gear-wheels bL b3 b4 to turn the nail-plate over, and they, together with the guide-rolls, give it the necessary feed. It may be necessary to adjust the motion of theiinger R to prevent it from clamping the nail-plate upon the bed-knife of the cutter or to prevent its too great upward movement. To accomplish this the lever-arm R may be extended upward beyond the pivot y, and its end arranged so as to be in opposition to a part of the standard l1. or other suitable stop. The movement of the finger may also be regulated by adj ustably mounting the friction-wheel r in a longitudinal slot in the fixed arm frz and securing it therein by abolt. (See Fig. l.) Vhcn the wheel is moved in the slot toward the bolt r3, the finger R will be raised and its motion limited, while an opposite movement of the wheel will allow a fur- As the feed-rod m moves the nail-plate to the cutters, the plate is directed into proper position by'a lateral guide, z, which is mounted upon the cutter-frame, as shown in Fig. l. It is 1 convenient, however, to provide means for ad- 6o justing the feed-rod centrally with the cutter t rattling of the feed-rod.

and for allowing it an automatic lateral movement in case a crooked nail-plate should be employed and to compensate for shaking or To this end the housing D, which supports the guide-rolls, is not fixed rigidly to the bar r/ of the rocking frame, but is pivoted by pintles d8 to blocks or cheeks dg, which are bolted to the bar, so that the frame may be capable of a lateral oscillation on the axes of these pintles. (See Figs. 1 and 8.) A spring, D', is fastened to the bar g on its under side, and has a pin or projection, d, (shown in Fig. 1,) which passes through a slot in the bar and bears against the bottom of the pivoted frame D alittle off the line of the axis d3 di. An adjustable set-screw bolt, d1", is iixed to the bottom of the frame at the other side of the center and bears on the surface of the bar g, the spring and bolt together having a tendency to keep the feed-rod in a proper. position. When, therefore, a crooked plate strikes the side of the guard z, the feed-rod will be thrust to one side, thereby turning the frame D on its axis against the pressure of the spring D', and the plate will be properly guided to the cutters. The frameD may also be adjusted laterally, so as to :fix the horizontal inclination of the feed-rod to the cutters by further projecting this set-screw bolt and tilting the frame against the spring, or by screwing it in and allowing the spring to tilt the frame in the opposite direction against the bolt. I

For the purpose of enabling the feed-rod to be easily adjusted within the peripheries of the several guide-rolls and rotating gearwheels, each frame t and D may be provided with a vertical forked guide, t, whose forks are situate in line with the intercircumferential spaces 2 and 8, so that when the feed-rod is-placed within the forks it will of itself fall into the proper position. (See Figs. l, 4, 7, and 8.)

Thus constructed the operation of my improved machine is as follows: A nail-plate having been secured in the clamp' on the end of the feed-rod, the latter is placed within the inclined feed-wheels and guide-rolls, the plate resting on the bed-knife of the cutters. The main shaft e is then setin motion, and the cutter-head b, actuated by the disk and level', descends and cuts a nail from the plate. At the same time the cam 7c throws the cam-yoke k', its rigid lever p, and the connecting-rod q forward, so as to move the ratchet-lever s and retract the pawl w. As soon as the nail has been cut, the most eccentric portion of the cam k having passed that part l of the yoke to which the lever Z is pivoted, the point Z begins to descend, thereby throwing the free end of the lever and its rod m forward. The function of this rod is to support and oscillate the rocking frame f, and as soon as it moves forward the gravity of the frame causes it to fall downward on the pivot X, thereby raising the finger R from the nail-plate and the nail-plate from the cutter. As the eccentric portion of the cam again passes the vertical diameter of its axis and moves toward the point l', the rod q begins to be drawn back by the lever p to its former position. This causes the pawl w to engage with the ratchet w and to impart to the'gear-wheels and rotating wheels a semi-y revolution, which rotates the feed-rod, so as to I OC) to the cutters.

upon the cutter, and the linger B depressed l upon the plate, so that another nail may be cut in a like manner.

The operations of cutting the nail, raising the nger R, and then turning the nail-plate and feeding it may be easily timed, because they are all caused by a common eccentric.

lt is desirable in nail-plate machines of the class to which my improved machine belongs that the feeding mechanism be movable and adjustable laterally to fix or alter the horizontal inclination at which the plate is fed to the of adjustable bearing-pins 7 7.

cutters, so that the cut nail may be more or less tapered, as desirable. in my machine a new and improved device for achieving this purpose, and it is in this my invention partly consists. (See Figs. 1, 12, and 13.) A support or plate, 4, is Xed horizontally to the rocking frame f, and has two lateral arms, 5 and 6, in which are depressions or concave bearings for the reception These pins form the axis X, above referred to, on which the rocking frame has its vertical oscillation, and are made adjustable as follows: Two blocks or supports, 8, are xed to the front part of the bed a of the machine by kmeans of horizontal bolts 9, which traverse vertical slots .10 in the block and enter the bed a. These blocks can therefore be conveniently moved vertically throughout the limits of these slots by loosening the bolts, adjusting the blocks, and then retightening the bolts. On the inner face of each of the blocks'8 is made a horizontal mortised groove, 11 into each of which grooves lits an arm or standard,

1 12. rIhe blocks 8 should be braced together,

and I prefer to do this by a horizontal connecting-bar, which extends transversely through each ofthe blocks, and through the standards 12, which are mortised thereinto, and at one or both of its projecting ends is screw-threaded and fitted with a screw nut or nuts, 13. A section of tubing, 14, is interposed between the blocks 8, and arranged to encircle the connecting-bar and to abut against the inner faces of the blocks. By tightening the bolts 13 on the connecting-bar the blocks 8 will be forced on their pivots against the abutting ends of the tubing and will be held securely in position, and by fixing the section 14 of the desired length the distances between the blocks may be accurately regulated. The connectling-brace and the tubing, in addition to steadying the blocks 8, also clamp and hold the standards 12 in position. The function of the parts 12, which are secured tothe blocks 8, is

to act-as standards for supporting the end of the rocking frame f. The axial pins 7 of the support 4 pass through these standards, and

I have embodied are movable and adjustable therein byA being screw-threaded. If one of the bolts 7 be screwed inward, and the other correspondingly loosened, the support 4 and the whole rocking frame f, with. its feed-rod and other J dicular let fall from the center of the cutting- W yknives and a horizontal line drawn through the frame f in the direction of its normal situation. The end of the frame f is secured to the support by bolts 17, which pass through the slots 15. By loosening these bolts the frame f may be moved or swung on the center 16 throughout the limits of the slots, and fixed in any desired position by retightening the bolts. rIhis swinging of the frame on the center 16 also swings it on the center of the cutting-knives, which is in the same vertical plane withthe point 16, and will, therefore, alter the inclination of the nail-plate to the knives and vary the shape of the cut nail, as before described. It will be noticed that the bolts 17 pass through longitudinal slots 18 in the end of the frame f, as well as through transverse slots 15 in the support. The purpose of this is that the frame f may be movable and adjustable to and in any desired position toward or away from the vertical plane of the knives without changing its inclination thereto.

The salient features of advantage of my nailmachine are as follows: The arrangement of the cam-yoke k with the levers Zand p, which operate the rocking frame and feed-rolls, the lever being secured to thev yoke, gives these parts a positive motion and causes them to work with great certainty. The peculiar feeding and rotating mechanism are useful for the same reason, and because they are simple in construction and easy of operation. The nice adj ustability of all the parts, especially the `axis of the rocking frame, makes the machine useful for cutting nails of any size, and in addition permits its accurate arrangement and enables it to act harmoniously and withv good results. f

Instead of the feeding-rolls herein described any of the ordinary clutch-feeds may be substituted therefor and used with the remaining portions of the machine; or the feed-rod may be provided with a worm-thread surrounded and engaging with the thread of a stationary nut as a substitute for the inclined feed-rolls. The comparative advantage. of the latter is that its motion is not so positive as to prevent its yielding or slipping a little in case the distance of feed should not be accurately fixed,

IQO

IIO

while if a worm-thread and nut be used the I slightest defect in the adjustment, causing a roo great feed of the nail-plate, might bend the plate or break the nail-cutters.

What I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with a longitudinally-traveling and axiallyrotating feed-rod provided with gear-teeth, of a driven feed-roll also provided with gearteeth whose axis is inclined to the axis .of the feed-rod, the teeth of the roll being set at an angle to its axis, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with a longitudinally-traveling and axiallyrotating feed-rod provided with gear-teeth, of a set of feed-rolls also provided with gearteeth whose axes are inclined to each other, the teeth ofthe rolls being set at angles to their axes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of a set of feed-rolls, a feed-rod, a set of guiderolls, and a frame or support in which the guide-rolls are mounted, said frame or support being pivoted so as to be movable laterally, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of a set of rolls, a feed-rod, a set of guide-rolls having their axes inclined to each other, and a frame or support in which the guide-rolls are mounted, said frame or support being pivoted so as to be movable laterally, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of a set of feed-rolls, a feed-rod, aset of'guiderolls, a frame or support in which the guiderolls are mounted, said frame or support being pivoted so as to be movable laterally, and aspring which bears upon the guide-roll frame or support, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination, in :inail-plate feeder, of a rocking frame having a feed-rod mounted thereon, a rotatory shaft, e,an eccentric mounted thereon, a cam-yoke encircling the eccentric,

a bell-crank lever, one arm of which is secured to the cam-yoke, and a rod connected with an arm of said bell-crank lever and with the frame for rocking the latter, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination of the rocking frame f, having a feed-rod mounted thereon, an eccentric, and a bell-crank lever connected with the rocking frame for operating the same, the elbow of said bell-crank lever 'being adj ustably journaled in a slot, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of afeed-rod, a driven feed-roll, a pawl and ratchet for operating the feed-roll, a driven eccentric, a cam-yoke encircling the eccentric,

and a connecting-rod joined to the cam-yoke and to the pawl, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of a feed-rod, a rocking frame, a finger-lever, R', for holding the nail-plate, and a lever connected with the finger-lever pivoted to the rocking frame and bearing upon a point independent of the frame, whereby the downward movement of the latter will raise the fingerlever, substantially as and for the purposes described. i

10. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination of a feed-rod, a rocking frame, a nger-lever, R, for holding the nail-plate, a lever connected with the iinger-lever pivoted to the rocking frame and bearing upon apoint independent ofthe frame, whereby the downward movement of the latteriwill raise the nger-lever,and aspring connected with the inger-lever and exerting a downward tension thereon, substantially as and for the purposes described.

ll. The combination, in a nail-machine, of a pivoted rocking frame carrying mechanism for feeding a nail-plate and cutters for severing the nails, said rocking frame being so arranged on its pivot as to be capable of being 9o swung or turned as if on a center, substantially in the same perpendicular with the cutters, substantially as and for the purposes described.

l2. As a device for swinging or turning the 9 5 rocking frame of a nail-machine laterally, the combination of oscillatory support 4 and the rocking frame, the latter being connected with the support by securing devices arranged in guideways or slots, whereby the frame is osroo cillatorywith the support and movable thereon laterallyin the arc of a circle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

18. The combination,with the rocking frame of a nail-machine, of pivots for rendering it 105 oscillatory, and standards for supporting said pivots, said standards being movable and adjustable vertically on the machine, substantially as and for the purposes described.

14. The combination, with the rocking r 1o frame of a nail-machine, of pivots for rendering it oscillatory, and standards l2, for supporting the pivotal blocks or supports 8, forming part of the standards and xable thereto, said blocks being slotted vertically and Apro- 115 vided with set bolts traversing the slots, whereby the blocks are made vertically adjustable, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 12o my hand this 28th day of July, A. D. 1885.

JUNIUS H. DUNBAR.

Witnesses:

W. N. AsHBAUGi-i, JAMES A. LEONARD. 

